Three Guys Theologizing (3GT)

The episode is a 3GT plus one, as the guys are visited by a special guest. Jennifer Michelle Greenberg, author of Not Forsaken: A Story of Life after Abuse, joins the podcast.

Jennifer tells the story of growing up in a churchgoing, homeschooling home where she was abused in verbal, physical, and sexual ways by her father. Having found hope in the love of her Heavenly Father and the sufferings of her Savior, Jennifer tells how the Lord rescued her despite all that she went through. Though some details are given to help gain a sense of what she went through, the focus of this episode is on the “defiant joy” the Lord has now given her.

Sadly, too many suffer under abuse without help. Tune into this edition of Three Guys – and a Gal! – Theologizing to hear of the grace and healing the Lord gives to those who cry out to him. (To order Jennifer’s book, go here.)

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With the 3GTers in exile from the house of God, they are grateful they can at least worship by participating in online services. Hearing pastoral prayers puts longing in their hearts for corporate worship to be restored. So they discuss the importance of prayer in public worship.

To assist them, the prof pulls out some wisdom from Professor R.J. George, who taught at RPTS a century ago and wrote an extremely practical three volume set on pastoral theology. In instructing on public praying, he emphasized such things as the need for Trinitarian prayer in worship, how a minister can cultivate the graces of prayer, and how the pastor should directly address God. The guys interact with the sage advice of George, point out how often the modern church is shallow in prayer, and offer practical suggestions on how the church should engage in prayer in the sanctuary of the Lord.

As the Lord’s house is to be one of prayer, it’s important to emphasize this feature of the church. So join along with 3GT as they interact on this important topic!

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With the guys still bunkered down waiting hopefully for an “All Clear” during the pandemic, they share war stories from their respective parts of the country. Then they get down to the issue at hand. How is the church to respond as the government increasingly encroaches on its freedoms?

The 3GTers start by acknowledging the difficulty our civil authorities have in determining the best course of action at this time. They express gratitude for rulers seeking to protect their citizens. But they also note that as the stay-at-home orders have grown in time and severity, many government leaders have demonstrated overreach and hypocrisy. Telling people they must wear masks while they stand barefaced in front of cameras less than six feet apart. Heftily fining people sitting in cars with their windows rolled up in a church parking lot listening by radio to their pastors while letting people park freely at grocery and liquor stores. Keeping abortion clinics open while dentist offices must stay closed.

So the guys stress how church leaders must wrestle with the dilemmas the people of God are facing, and give them guidance during these troubling times. Certainly Christians who came before us, such as those in the days of Richard Cameron (pictured), struggled with issues of church and state.

Join the guys and wrestle along with them on this episode of 3GT!

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Ecclesiastes tells us that there is “a time to weep, and a time to laugh.” With all the dire news these days, certainly weeping is and should be taking place at this time. Yet listening to the evil and brokenness of this world 24/7 is not healthy or Biblical. Sharing some good laughs can be a bit of an oasis during these long, sad days.

So the guys reflect on life in the church and how often events occur that can produce a good laugh. Sharing anecdotes, we hear of some pulpit mishaps such as mispronunciations (The prof still cannot get straight the difference between prostrate and prostate!), gestures gone wrong, and – shall we say – a prayer request that was not. The congregation is not left out, as the guys share stories from their child antics in the pews to what one lady discovered after the men worked on the church bathroom. And, if nothing else, you will be cheered simply by hearing the hearty, charming laugh of our parishioner!

Need a good laugh? Not sure you will find it here, but the guys tried!

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With podcasting providing natural social distancing, the 3GTers tackle issues of worship when much of the church is quarantined. How are we to view worship when the church is not together?

They begin by remembering that the church has faced pandemics before. Next, they explain the current worship practice of their own congregations. The guys then discuss how we should view this format of digital worship in a Biblical manner. They explain how this current situation is worship in exile. It is real but incomplete. This time should encourage a greater regard for the invisible church. Online worship creates grief over the judgment of God and the separation we have from one another. This situation reveals the true longings of hearts and the presence (or lack thereof) of heavenly desires. The dilemma we are in does not pit the fourth and sixth commandment against one another, but gives us the opportunity to practice true wisdom in applying the law of God.

These issues and several others are addressed on this episode. So though you may be in exile, you can still join together with the guys as always here at 3GT!

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